Password Plus

Buzz

Password Plus ranks 4,566 out of the 18,228 shows on TV.com.

The 24 users who count themselves as Password Plus fans have written a total of 5 reviews.

Status

Premiered

Ended

Genre

Password Plus is a remake of the familiar Password shows. Password Plus consisted of two rounds. The main round in which the teams had to guess the password using one word clues as was like the original game, however, the passwords were also clues to a puzzle that could be a person, place or thing. The player who... more »

Password Plus is a remake of the familiar Password shows. Password Plus consisted of two rounds. The main round in which the teams had to guess the password using one word clues as was like the original game, however, the passwords were also clues to a puzzle that could be a person, place or thing. The player who guesses the password gets a guess at the puzzle. If a word was not guessed after each clue-giver had given three clues (reduced to two on June 15, 1979), it was added to the board, but no one was allowed a guess at the puzzle. If a clue-giver inadvertently gave a word away, the guesser on the opposing team was given the right to guess the puzzle. If a guesser failed to solve the puzzle after all five clues were revealed, their partner received a guess. If they were incorrect, the puzzle was thrown out. The first two puzzles were valued at $100 and the next two puzzles paid $200. The person who reached $300 won the game and went on to the end round.

The end round was called Alphabetics where the contestant and his or her celebrity partner were to try to guess ten passwords that began with certain letters of the alphabet (A-J, B-K, etc.). For every word guessed correctly, they got $100, but to get all ten within 60 seconds, they received $5,000. An illegal clue lowered the jackpot by $1,000. Contestants stayed on the show up to seven games.

Later during the Tom Kennedy run, the game was restructured this way. The first three puzzles paid $100, then the contestants would switch celebrity partners at that point. The next three puzzles paid $200. The person who reached $500 won the game and played Alphabetics. This time, Alphabetics had a progressive jackpot that started $5,000 and went up by that much each time it was not won, up to a limit of $50,000 (just like Super Password). Illegal clues lowered the jackpot by 20% (IE; $20,000 would be $16,000 for one illegal clue), but this was later changed to a flat $2,500 reduction in late 1981. By the final week, the 20% reduction had returned.

Allen Ludden hosted the show until late October 1980 when he had suffered a stroke as well as having his cancer recur, so Tom Kennedy took over until the series' end. In 1984, this same format was used for Super Password starring Bert Convy.

Before they were stars, Kirstie Alley and Chuck Wagner were contestants on Password Plus.less «

• Why is the Episode Guide Messed up?

  The episode guide is a little messed up. TV.com had the episodes as weeks. So I am currently fixing this. Right now ...more »

  The episode guide is a little messed up. TV.com had the episodes as weeks. So I am currently fixing this. Right now I finished season 1, but now I have to put the episodes from the week in, and I'm Working on season 2. So If you see it messed up, this is why. S uper K ing T , E d i t o r less «

  superkingt Last online 4 hrs, 33 mins ago
  1 comments, last one Feb 28, 2009 + Add Comment

• Anybody here watch this show?

  Or am I the only one?

  Or am I the only one?less «

  tb485 Last online 1 day, 22 hrs ago
  5 comments, last one May 26, 2007 + Add Comment

•  

  10 Perfect

  Without a doubt a great extension to Password of the 60s and 70s. The puzzle and Alphabetics made this show great. Sure wish it had a longer run. hide « show »

  What Allen Ludden, Bill Cullen and Tom Kennedy did for this show in the 3+ years on the air is something that will carry it on for generations to come. This show, in my opinion was and still is, a daily English class. I tape this program each day. And for good reason too.

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  timrbo86 Added Aug 2, 2007 All my reviews
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  8 Great

  NBC re-incarnates a classic. A lot of fun to watch our favorite stars from days gone by. hide « show »

  Password has always been one of the classics of the game show genre. Allen Ludden played the intellectual aspect to the hilt. After the (sadly permanent) passing of the original Password, in 1975, NBC elected to bring it back in 1979 but as "Password Plus" and retained Ludden as host.
  
  This version used the password as clues to a puzzle which the contestants (or their celebrity parter) had to guess to win the money and eventually the game and go on to "Alphabetics" where $5000 could be won. The mood was more playful, to which the quick witted Ludden usually played into but at times seemed frustrated that there was too much nonsense. Celebrities included an unknown David Letterman, a Los Angeles area weatherman who would be taking the reigns of Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak, as well as the old stallworths like Dick Martin, Tom Poston, Lucille Ball, Tony Randall and Ludden's wife, Betty White.
  
  The game was in nearly constant flux and often, in retrospect, seemed like the pilot for the later "Super Password" The show went through several rule change tweeks. The first and probably the most frustrating was the prohibiting of opposite clues. This made the game play a bit more intellectual but ticked off many Password purists. No longer could you give a clue like NIGHT for DAY. Ludden defended this rule change on air many time.
  
  Other rule changes included the number of clues before the word went up unanswered went from 6 to 4 speeding up game play. Early on, control of the next word would pass to the contestent's team who did not answer correctly, penalizing the correct team. This was later changed.
  
  Initially, the game consisted of two $100 puzzles and then $200 puzzles until one team had $300. Later, an additional $100 round was added and the players changed partners after the third round. The winning amount went up as well. This slowed game play so that many shows, nobody would play the bonus round.
  
  The biggest change, sadly occurred when Allen Ludden passed away. The show was never quite the same with replacements Bill Cullen and Tom Kennedy. In 1982, the show was cancelled. Watching these shows in reruns on GSN is more about seeing those who we loved to watch but are no longer with us. A fun ride, none the less!

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  tb485 Added Sep 18, 2006 All my reviews
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  7 Good

  Sometimes it sucks, but it's usually okay. Course, it'll always be better than Neighbours! How can anyone watch that? It should be shot down. hide « show »

  Sometimes it sucks, but it's usually okay. Course, it'll always be better than Neighbours! How can anyone watch that? It should be shot down. Anyway, Password Plus , it's weird at times, and usually quite unbelieveable, and sometimes everything is just too perfect, but it's cool as it is. Oh, and i'd NEVER EVER want to live there. Beach views and death on every corner!

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  Naps_123 Added Jun 11, 2006 All my reviews
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  8.5 Great

  A very good show indeed. There are some thing that I didnt like though. When Super Password came along, each time they lost the bonus roung the price money went up another five-thousand dollars which I hated and I remember it once got up to fifty-thousand hide « show »

  Password plus was a very good show indeed but it was sad when Alan Lutten died before the show ended and when Tom Kenedy started hosting it, it just whent down the tube.I still like the show though, but with being in school and everything, I always miss it which stinks.

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  Silveradoman94 Added Oct 8, 2005 All my reviews
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  10 Perfect

  It's more than "Password"... hide « show »

  . . .it's "Password Plus"! ! ! And it's awesome, no matter if it's Allen Ludden (who passed on midway through the show's run... * sniff *), Bill Cullen, or Tom Kennedy who hosted, It's a real great show! Watch it on GSN, you'll definatly love it! ! ! ! Please see it sometime!

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  colonelbohan Added Jul 16, 2005 All my reviews